Mullan To Host May - Capital For A Day

Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter announced today that the Shoshone County community of Mullan will be Idaho's "Capital for a Day" on Wednesday, May 25.

The "Capital for a Day" event in Mullan was previously scheduled for a date in late April. However, in light of the tragic events at the Lucky Friday mine, and out of respect for miner Larry "Pete" Marek's family and the community, Governor Otter decided to postpone the event.

Governor Otter brings State government to Idahoans living outside Boise each month by making a different town in Idaho the state's "Capital for a Day." The events provide local residents an all-day opportunity to have open discussions about government issues with Governor Otter, members of his Cabinet and other senior State officials.

The open meeting is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Morning Club, located at 117 Hunter Avenue in Mullan. Governor Otter will join Mayor Mike Dunnigan and other local leaders in the Silver Valley for a private lunch from noon to 1 p.m.

Officials joining Governor Otter at "Capital for a Day" will include Dick Armstrong, director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare; Brigadier General Bill Shawver, commanding officer of the Idaho Air National Guard and director of the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security; George Bacon, director of the Idaho Department of Lands; Bill Deal, director of the Idaho Department of Insurance; Nancy Merrill, director of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation; Curt Fransen, deputy director at the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ); Rob Hanson, DEQ Mine Waste Manager; Jim Unsworth, deputy director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game; Don Soltman, a member of the State Board of Education; and Nick Smith, deputy superintendent for School Support Services at the State Department of Education.

Also on hand to help answer questions from residents will be regional staff from the Idaho Department of Labor, the Idaho Division of Veterans Services, the Idaho Transportation Department, and the Idaho State Historical Society.

"The people of Mullan and Shoshone County have been through a traumatic time. They live with the dangers and uncertainties of mining every day, and I'm interested in hearing how they see the road ahead," Governor Otter said. "Silver Valley residents are tough and resilient. We all could learn a lot from listening to their concerns and reflecting on the sense of community that binds them together."